Death Be Not Proud
by moonlite982
Summary: "Death, be not proud, though the whole world fear you: Mighty and dreadful you may seem, But death, be not proud, for your pride has failed you" Death has knocked at my family's door relentlessly. It scares me and I wonder when it'll barge in and take me. I can't stop death but maybe I can control how it takes me. Perhaps it'll give me the luxury of actually meaning something.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hello there fellow readers, I'm back. Hopefully with a story I can stick too. The others just weren't growing on me so I decided to try again! We're going a little old school here starting before the outbreak/season 1 style but mainly focusing on season 2 due to this story focusing on Sophia and my OC, which you'll understand later if you stick with it and review :)_**  
><strong><em>This first chapter is like a prologue and gives you a glimpse of what happens shortly before the outbreak in the Grimes home and a couple of weeks before Rick gets there. My OC is Anna or Annie(Ricks nickname for her), she's about twenty two, has long brown hair, blue eyes and bit of an attitude at times as she's independent yet more mellow like Rick and as you'll see, she's closer to him than she is to her mom. This story is told through mostly her eyes and I hope you'll grow to like her and her story :)<em>**

My life is...a lot of things. Before the outbreak, it was...busy. Ya know, how any typical college girls' in her twenties would be. Busy with school, friends, fighting parents, you know, the usual. The worst I had to worry about was which career path I was going down or whether my crush liked me back or not. Or if Mom or Dad were eventually going to get a divorce. Or god forbid my car didn't start because it was so old. All of those things that bogged my mind seemed like those were just typical life's struggles. I never thought they'd get worse than that.

Man, was I wrong.

_First, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed due to Mom yelling at Dad again. I couldn't sleep through it so I had no choice but to get up and start the day early. I tried to improve by volunteering to take Carl to school, which he loved doing so I figured it'd take his mind off everything. They were still going at it when Carl and I were coming down stairs. Dad looked stressed out to max, Mom was going on about something stupid, Carl kept giving me a nervous look and right as I was about to say something, Mom word vomited the worst thing she could say to Dad._

_"You know, sometimes I wonder if you even care about us at all!" She spat viciously, rage all over her face._

_It smacked Dad hard across the face and caused Carl to gasp and me to flinch. Dad's face fell as he realized we'd heard the whole thing. I gave him a sympathetic look and as Mom turned around to us, she closed her eyes and sighed heavily, rubbing her hands on her temple._

_"Carl, why don't you go unlock the car and wait for me. You can even start it if you remember how." I try to say enthusiastically to my brother. He looks from me to our parents with a worried look then back to me but I insist by placing my keys in his hands. "Go on, I'll be there in a second." He quietly takes my keys and walks quickly past our parents out the door._  
><em>Once he's out, I cross my arms and look at that them both wordlessly, hopefully relaying how upset I am by my facial expression. Dad huffs tiredly then snatches his keys off the key rack. "I gotta go." He mutters then quickly leaves the house with a loud bang of the door behind him.<em>

_I flinch, angry tears starting to prick my eyes as I turn to Mom. She looks defensive. "Look, I-"_

_I hold my hands up. "Don't! Just...stop! I'm tired of hearing it." I try to snap but my voice breaks. "Like...really? Carl was-" I stop abruptly with a frustrated sigh. "That was so out of line, Mom. Why would you say something like that?" I ask in a hurt voice._

_She reaches out for me. "Anna-"_

_I take two steps back from her. "Don't!" I snap at her angrily and she stops. I walk to the door then turn on my heel. "You know one day you're gonna say something like that and he's not going to come home. Think about that for once." I don't give her a chance to say anything before I close the door in her face._

_I see Dad still in the driveway, about to get his car before I call out to him. "Dad, wait!" I get his attention briefly before I catch him out guard by throwing my arms around him. I hug him tightly and whisper in his ear. "Don't let Mom's words screw you up. We...I know it isn't true. I'd never question it. Ever. You shouldn't either."_

_He takes a shaky breath then squeezes firmly. "I know." He whispers back before letting go._

_I look into his sad eyes before looking away. "I don't want anything to happen-"_

_He grabs my chin gently in his hands. "Hey, look at me." He says firmly and I obey, tears pricking my eyes again. "Everything is going to be alright, understand? Don't worry about me. As long as you don't have any doubts about how much I care about you and your brother, I'll be just fine. I promise." He places a lingering kiss on my forehead and I feel a little tear escape my eye, which he wipes away with his thumb. "Everything is going to be ok." He whispers again, more to himself and I nod, regaining my composure._

_I look him in the eye. "I love you." I say with a watery smile, which he returns then kisses me one more time on the cheek._

_"I love you too, Annie." He whispers back kindly then takes a step back. "Now go on and get Carl to school. I'll see you both later." He says in a fatherly tone then gently squeezes my arm reassuringly._

_I reluctantly walk to the car and slide in next to Carl, which is already started. "Look at that, you remembered. Next thing you know, we're gonna be fighting over there." I try to joke but my voice catches. I try to cover it by clearing my throat and putting the car into gear and driving off quickly._

_We ride in silence for a little while until I break. "You know, Mom didn't mean what she said, Carl." I say._

_"Then why did she say it?" He ask curiously._

_I sigh. "Sometimes...when you're upset or angry or sad or in a difficult situation...you just don't think about what you're saying. And that's bad because you can say something that hurts someone else's feelings."_

_"Like how Mom hurt Dad's feelings?"_

_"Mmmhmm." I mumble in agreement. "And sometimes people say bad things just to hurt them because they're hurting too. Both are bad. But, it doesn't change the truth. Like what Mom said...you know it's not true." We pull up to a red light and I look briefly at Carl. "Dad would gives his life for us without even thinking about it. That's how much he cares. I have a few years on you so I know." I wink at him. "I don't and won't ever question that. You shouldn't either." I say as we move forward again._

_Carl nods as stays quiet and thinks about my words. It's not long before we're pulling into the school and he gets his backpack ready to go. But before he gets out, he looks at me and asks, "I know Dad loves us and all but do you think him and Mom are gonna stop fighting so much any time soon?"_

_It breaks my heart to even question that because I didn't know the answer. I grab his hand and give it a gentle squeeze. "I hope so, bud. Either way, everything is gonna be ok. You'll see." I say sincerely and he nods with a small smile._

_"Ok." He replies simply then opens the door. "See ya later, Anna!" He says as he gets out._

_I wave to him then roll down the window. "Hey!" I call after him, making him turn around. "I love you!" I smile which he returns and repeats my words then joins up with his friends and runs to class._

_I wish I could say Dad was right, that everything was ok, that he came home later on and life went on. But I'd be lying. Life didn't just throw us a curve ball, it slapped us as hard as it could with the bat. Because just a few hours after that conversation, I was at the college, in Biology class, when one of the counselors came to the classroom and told me to go with her to office. She wouldn't tell me why so I knew instantly it was bad. When I got there, Shane was sitting in a chair. My blood ran cold, my vision blurred as he looked at me with conflicted eyes as he stood up._

_I began shaking my head. "No...no, no, no, no." I repeated over and over again as my knees began to wobble._

_Shane quickly walked over and grabbed my arms. "Hey, Anne, shh. Listen to me now-"_

_I shake my head violently. "No! He can't be-"_

_"He's not, he's...he's in a coma." Shane tries to explain but my hand flies to my mouth and my knees buckle as pain knocks the wind out of me. He holds me as I begin to waver back and forth. "Anna, look at me." He holds my hands in his hand firmly. "It's nothing to worry about. The bullet did some internal damage and the docs say that the coma is just it's way of healing itself. It may sound bad but it ain't. They said he's stable and responding well. He'll be out of it before ya know it. You hear me? He's gonna be fine." He tries to console me but there's tears in his own eyes. I can't take it anymore so I throw myself into Shane's arms and sob loudly. He wraps his own around me and pulls my head to his chest while rocking me gently. "Hey, now. Shhh, it's gonna be alright." He whispered over and over._

That was one of the worst moments of my life followed by Shane telling us a few weeks later that my father was dead. Not to mention, that news came while we were trying to evacuate because of the apocalyptic outbreak and everything around us was in complete and utter chaos. It's crazy to think that all happened just about two weeks ago.

_I remember when Shane broke the news to us and I fought him so hard. He literally had to drag me out of my car, in the midst of everything going on around us. "No! I'm not leaving him!" I cried out._

_"Anna, we don't have time for this, we gotta go!" He yelled at me but I ran from him and jumped into my car, starting it quickly. I was in complete denial and shock as I turned the key._

_"He's alive, we can't leave him! I won't!" I yell at them from my window. Meanwhile, Mom and Carl are screaming for me and Shane because the dead were getting closer._

_Shane shot two of our dead neighbors then snatched open my car door and tried to pull me out. "Anna, stop it!" He hissed as I fought him._

_"Let go of me!" I screamed hysterically as I punched him. "I'm not leaving him!"_

_He then grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and slammed me against the car, making me cry in pain which made Mom and Carl react but he ignored them and shook me while my nails dug into his thick arms. "Now, listen to me!" He yelled in my face. "Rick, is dead! I tried to get him out but he was NOT breathing. There is nothing I could do. NOW, you're gonna stop this bullshit, accept it, and get in the damn car before you kill us all!" He screams and tried to glare at him because his words stung like hell._

_"Shane!" Mom yelled out, holding Carl, they were both giving me concerned and desperate looks._

_I looked at Shane and could feel his fingers digging into my skin, which would later leave bruises. "I ain't gonna hand ya over to that, Anne. I won't do it." He says in a fiercely determined voice, yet there was something else underlined there as well._

_Of course, he wouldn't let me go. He was Dad's best friend, our family. He wouldn't let us die without a fight. He wouldn't let us do anything stupid to get us killed which is what I was fixing to do. It took screaming in my face and throwing me against a car to get me to see that and I knew that if the roles were reversed, Dad would do the same thing. Which is why I shakily loosened my grip on his arms and I nodded defeatedly, my face falling in devastation._

_Seeing this, Shane loosened his grip and his face softened. "C'mon." He whispered and led me quickly to their car, which I followed robotically. He led me to his side of the car, opened my door, motioned me to get and then snatched open his own door._

_That split second he turned his head was when Carl suddenly screamed. "Anna, look out!"_

_I turned around just in time to see jaws snapping at me. I screamed as the creature pinned me and was trying to sink it's teeth in me. I briefly recognized it to be the store clerk from the gas station down the road. I didn't get too much time to think about it though before Shane shot him, earning a scream from me and Carl._  
><em>The shots rang loudly in my ears and everything started to blur as the pain rattled in my head. Shane then pushed me into the car, slammed the door then got in the driver's seat and sped away. I couldn't hear anything for several minutes as I held my hands over my ears and kept my head down. Even after I could hear and they started questioning me, I remained quiet as the life I knew was falling apart and there was nothing I could do about.<em>

Those were the days I hated thinking about the most because they brought so much pain. It's hard to believe that we survived them but we did somehow. They even got better in some ways but then worse in others.

The better was that we found more survivors and became stronger. We were still hurting but working around camp made it bearable. The people we found or rather found us, were for the most part good people. We worked out chores schedules and all the other necessities for survival. Conflict was limited but I think it was because everyone was so numb and just wanted something to do to keep their minds busy. I kept to myself for the most part. I didn't have the desire to talk to anyone. Even my brother I kept a limited conversation with, which Shane usually kept him busy so I didn't feel too bad. Carl also knows me. He knows that I'm grieving, we both are but we handle it differently.

I'm just now able to sit down long enough to be able to process it all. My old life, including my old my friends, family, enemies, everything...is gone. No one else. How do you handle something like that?

As I'm thinking about this, I see a familiar shadow coming out of the corner of my eye. "Hey," Shane's voice greets. I remain quiet as he sighs and sits down next to me. I feel his eyes on me as I continue to busy myself by playing with the pieces of grass and weaving them through each other. After a while, he speaks up. "Anna, we need to talk." He says seriously.

"_You_ need to talk." I correct shortly, keeping my eyes down.

He rubs his chin then huffs slightly. "Alright, fine. I'll right down to the point. I'm worried about you. We all are. Especially your mom." He begins.

"Then that's ya'lls problems." I reply quietly.

I see him frown out of the corner of my eye. "Annie-"

My head whips around angrily. "Don't call me that!" I hiss as I feel the familiar nickname hit my heart like salt into a wound.

Shane's face softens and is apologetic as he holds his hands up. "Sorry." He apologizes sincerely as he realizes his mistake. He remains quiet for a few moments before asking, "Will you at least look at me. Please?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Shane." I warn him in a low voice.

"Anna-" He moves to grab my hand which I yank angrily away.

"I said, I don't want to talk about it, damn it!" I curse then jump up, feeling defensive as tears begin to prick my eyes. I try to stomp away but Shane follows in pursuit and eventually grabs my hand. "Let go of me!" I yell at him.

He tightens his grip on me, grabs my other arm and forces to face him. "Anna, stop!" He says in a strong authoritative voice, which I return with a glare since I can't go anywhere. "I had to get you out of there-"

"Shane, please!" I go from fighting to pleading, not wanting to relive that night.

"I had to get you out of there." He continues sternly then softens a bit. "He was gone. He was-" His voice breaks a bit. "I ran in there, everyone was shooting, there was walkers everywhere. I got to his room and he was hooked up to all these wires and tubes. I tried to figure what was what then they came in and I hid. After they left I begged him to wake up then the power went out, all the machines went out and when I searched for a heart beat there was none. He-" He stopped and looked away, tears pricking his own eyes.

I winced, not wanting to hear anymore. "Shane..."

He loosens his grip and moves one hand to my face, rubbing a tear from my cheek. "I had to getcha out. After all that, all I could think about was getting you and your family to safety. I'm sorry it came down to us fighting but-"

"You did what you had to do." I whisper, finally making eye contact with him. "I was in denial. I was stupid and if you'd had let me go I would've been dead in minutes." I sigh wearily, trying not to cry. "It's not on you."

Shane gently squeezes my shoulder. "It killed me, Anne. I hated not being able to be the hero and reunite you guys. Hell, that was my best friend. Don't think it wasn't hard on me making that decision. It's never easy to leave a man behind, much less your partner." He says sadly.

I nod. "It is what it is, Shane. I know it wasn't easy on you. I'm sorry for acting otherwise. And I'm sorry for being so distant it's just..." I close my eyes and sigh. "That was my dad, my best friend...not having him around to talk to...it sucks."

"I get that." He agrees. "But unfortunately we have to get through. There's no grief counseling or anything like that. All we do is stick together and do the best we can to survive this whole mess. It's alright to miss your dad but also know that he wouldn't want you to just sink either." Shane grabs my chin and tilts it up. "Ya hear me?"

I nod in agreement and try to put on a brave face. "I'll do my best. That's all I can give right now." I answer honestly.

"Alright." He nods and claps me gently on the shoulder. "You good?"

"I will be." I reply quietly.

"Well, when you're ready, join the rest of us. Alright?" He says which I respond with a simple nod then Shane takes the hint and walks away.

I put my head in my hands, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. How am I going to survive this? I asks myself as tears wet the grass beneath me. I wish I could just pull myself together and get over it all. But this is the way life was now. I would have to force myself to be better, even if on the inside I felt like a shattered mess. They say it's easy said than done but I disagree. Even the sound of it seems impossible to me and actually doing it...we'll just have to see how it goes.

After all, this is life now and it's not changing any time soon.


	2. Chapter 2

It's been three or four weeks since my talk with Shane. It took me a few days to recuperate but I finally kicked my butt into gear and made an effort to find a place in camp. Most people know me as Anna, the friendly girl who collects berries. Exciting, right? Yet that's one of my jobs here. Collecting edible food, thanks to knowledge that went back to Girl Scouts. Thanks Mom and Dad. There's actually a variety of stuff that the quarry has to offer and though it's just a few berries here and there, you begin to be thankful as beans can't only hold you over for so long. Yet I discovered the plants aren't just good for good but also for medicine and...a replacement for TP(toilet paper).

I usually went out when I needed my space. It became my outlet and I enjoyed it. It gave me something to focus on. Yet Shane got onto me when he found out I was going alone. Truth be told he's really been getting on my nerves lately. I know he's trying to do what's right and be a leader and all but quite frankly, he can be an ass too. And I mean that in the most loving way. Kind of. Honestly I'm not too thrilled with him and Mom because I know they've been fooling around but I try not to let it irk me so much. Everyone has their own way of coping with this whole mess and I don't have the strength to butt into their business. Yet it still hurt a bit and rubbed me the wrong way so I steered clear of them most of the time if I had anything to do with it.

So that's my life right now. It's nothing exciting. Just...trying to survive. The camp we have so far isn't so bad. It's in a beautiful location in the mountains as the city is overrun. That's one thing Mom and I will agree on. To put signs out on the highway to warn people away. I haven't figured out how I'm going to get past Shane yet but I was going to figure it out. That's actually what I planned to start today and I knew just the right plant to use for paint.

The sun was beginning to come up, I guess it was about 6:30 as everyone was beginning to wake up and get to work. I stood up in my tent, got dressed then went outside and stretched. I had to stop by Dale's RV first before going out on my hike. Dale was one of my favorite people here. He was actually one to offer some comforting advice when I told him what happened to my dad. Unlike, he sympathized and was able to be someone I could talk too. Not that I talked much but still, when I needed it, he was there.

"Good morning, Dale!" I greet the old man sitting on his roof.

He looked over and grinned when he saw it was me and waved. "Mornin', Anna! Early riser today?" He teased. I usually sleep in longer.

I smirk. "It happens every once in a while. Hey can you actually down for a second? I need your help with something." I tell him.

He nods then slowly steps down the ladder. How he's still able to get up there I don't know but he does. He walks over and raises his eyebrows in question. "What's up?"

"I'm working on a project to keep myself busy. I'm going to make some signs and I'm going out soon to get some berries to use as paint but I was wondering what I should paint on. Any ideas?"

He looks down, his expression scrunched slightly in thought. "I think I might have something that might work." Dale says as he opens the door and holds it open for me to come inside. He pulls the couch out a bit and pulls out some cardboard boxes. "It's not much and it probably won't hold against the rain but it's something."

"No, these are perfect." I say looking over the boxes, should be the perfect size.

"I got one more thing that might help ya out." He says then walks over to a drawer and opens it. He digs around before finding a bottle of unopened black paint and hands it to me.

I can't help but laugh. "I assume this was in your End Of The World kit too?"

Dale chuckles. "I'll have you know my wife used to paint, that was from her stash."

"Is that right?" I smile.

"Yes ma'am. She loved to paint mostly black and white pictures. Give her a canvas or a piece of paper she'd be at it for hours." He says fondly.

I smile a little then look at the paint. "You know, I don't have to use this if it means something to you." I say.

"Nah," He dismisses me with a wave. "Just because she could paint for hours, doesn't necessarily mean she was any good at it. Think she'd be happy to know her lost bottle of paint was going towards a worthy cause." He says then grins in memory. "Yep, she knows I loved her so much that I didn't mean watching her try though." He lets out a small laugh then nudges me in the shoulder as he passes by me, leaving me in slight shock of what he'd just said.

I scoff while shaking my head. "That's...either the sweetest or most terrible thing I've ever heard." I laugh.

Dale grins then shrugs. "This is when she'd probably smack me and chastise me about how terrible I am at fishing." He winks, making me burst into laughter, not feeling so guilty anymore about using the paint. "Oh, Anna, I was wondering though if I could trade the paint for information though." He suddenly asks seriously.

I sober up and give him a questioning look. "Depends on what it is." I answer skeptically.

He points to the cardboard. "These signs...what are they for?"

I sigh then push my hair back. "For the highway." I say with a small wince.

Dale's face falls. "Oh no, you're not actually gonna try that, are ya?" He says in disbelief.

"I have to, Dale. The entire city of Atlanta is overrun and I know for a fact that the emergency broadcast system told people to go there. People are gonna be looking for a safe haven and instead they're..."I trail off and Dale winces, knowing the rest of my sentence. "I can't sit around here knowing that."

Dale sighs. "I agree with you. It's not right. It's not fair. But let me ask you this, how are you gonna get past Shane?"

"Shane has no authority over me. I'm going whether he likes it or not. Simple as that." I answer slightly defensive.

Dale shrugs, not exactly knowing how to take me. "Well, good luck. I hope you do make it out there and back safely."

"I'll be fine, Dale. It's a quick trip. I'll be back before you know it." I try to reassure him.

"Alright." He agrees reluctantly as we part ways. I understand his concern though. Getting past Shane wasn't going to be easy but since I've had time to pull myself together, my independence is coming back as well as my stubbornness. That slightly concerned me because we're both stubborn and the two is like fire with fire. One thing is for sure though. I wasn't backing down without a fight.

As I snuck quickly into my tent and dropped the cardboard and paint off, I walked back out to do my daily chores which today included dishes, folding laundry, boiling water, scavenging for food. When I arrived I noticed a lot of people packing up and loading cars. I started to fear the worst but then noticed how calm and quiet it was. Confused, I went to Glenn, an Asian boy about two or so years younger than me and asked him what was going on.

"I'm taking a group into Atlanta to gather supplies." He says a bit unhappily.

My eyebrows furrow together. "A group? Who's idea was that?"

"A few people. Shane talked about it and agreed that the more people that go the more supplies we'll bring back." He explains.

I shake my head. "And the more people you bring-"

"The more we put at risk." Glenn finishes my sentence with equal intolerance.

"Is Shane actually going?" I ask.

Glenn shakes his head. "Nah, he said he was needed more here."

I scoff. "Sure." I mumble bitterly. "Who's all going?"

Glenn thinks for a moment. "Me, Andrea, Jaquie, Morales, T-Dog, Merle-"

"Merle?" I ask in disbelief. "You're actually letting that redneck asshole go with you?"

"Hey, if it were my choice, nobody would be going. But he insisted that he'd be a good tribute and Shane gave in and is letting him go." He replies hesitantly.

"Well, good luck with that. I'd join you but I have to make the signs to put up on the highway." I explain and he gives me a doubtful look, knowing how Shane feels. I feel like I'm talking to Dale all over again.

"You actually think he's going to let you go out?" He asks carefully.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told Dale. Shane is not my father. He never has been, never will be. If I want to risk my life trying to help other people he has no authority to tell me yes or no." I say defensively.

Glenn raises his hands. "Hey, that's all you. But you know it's going to be hard getting past him without going with somebody."

"I know but...I'll figure it out. Even if I sneak out in the middle of the night, they're going up." I say determined.

Glenn nods. "It's a good idea. I'd put them up myself but we're going to be leaving real soon." he says glancing towards the group.

I nod and offer a small smile. "Don't worry about it. Just...come back, alright? I may be a little rough around the edges but I do care. In other words, don't get your ass eaten." I tease.

"Thanks?" He laughs nervously. I chuckle softly then turn on my heel to leave him to his work. "Hey!" He calls after me. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Me?" I ask innocently as I put my hand on my chest, causing him to laugh, shake his head then walk away.

Much to my disdain, I have the pleasure of passing Merle Dixon, who I think is going to keep his mouth shut before he slaps me on the ass. I yelp and my reflexes causes me to whip and slap him hard across the face. I have no regrets as I stand my ground and glare at him.

Merle rubs the place where I smacked him and he begins to laugh. "Woohoo, just as quick and deadly as a viper." He laughs as he looks me up and down. "So where you off too, honey bun? Gonna go pick some more berries? Maybe get some more ass wipes while you're at it?" He teases me.

"Laugh it up, Dixon. Next time I'll make sure you'll be wiping your ass with poison ivy." I threaten, earning a hearty laugh then continues to mess with me, which I don't take too well and end up threatening him so more. I wasn't a huge fan of Merle and he usually didn't like anyone else, and he didn't particularly like me either as much as find it funny to ruffle my feathers. Lucky me...

"Hey Dixon! Hurry up, we're loadin' up!" Morales calls from the truck.

"Ah, looks like you have to go." I say with heavy sarcasm and a slight pout.

"Ah don't worry, darlin'. Be back before ya know it and then maybe we can, ya know, fool around and scare the fish, huh?" He wiggles his eyebrows seductively.

I make a face. "Yeah, in your dreams, buddy. Now get on!" I push him forward and he runs over to Morales laughing the whole way.

"Ugh." I shudder violently and shake my head, trying to rid myself of the horrible thoughts.

Just then Shane comes up and I nod to him as we watch the rest of our group say goodbye to the volunteers going into the city. I hoped to God that by some miracle they all come back safely. Especially the people like Morales and Andrea since they had family that were probably shaking with anxiety. I know what that's like and I don't wish it on anyone.

"I sure hope they come back." I whisper to Shane.

He sighs. "Me too. It ain't easy sending so many out." He replies.

I look at him. "Then why are we?"

"We're dangerously low on supplies, Anna. I didn't want to alert anyone so don't say anything but...if we were to get attacked today, we'd hardly have anything to defend ourselves. Not to mention we're low on food. They people who left, they knew that and they knew the risk. Sometimes you have to sacrifice." He explains in a low voice, trying to get me to understand.

"Yeah...sacrifice." I repeat his words in a whisper as I watch them drive away.

"So...you and Dixon, huh?" I turn around to Shane who has his eyebrows lifted in mischief. "Didn't exactly think he was your type but hey, desperate times comes for desperate measures."

My face twist in utter and complete disgust. "You've got to be kidding me. I'd rather chew off my own arm."

Shane smiles. "Hey, ain't no one judging here. Think it's kinda cute." He winks.

I literally gag, I'm so repulsed. "Ugh, shut up!" I yell pushing him out of my way and starting walking back to my tent. I hear him giggling and I turn around to see that big ol' familiar grin I've known for years. "Nasty." I grumble at him with a smirk, not being able to hide my own amusement in my voice.

It was little moments like this that helped me remember my old life, how no matter how life was right now, Shane was still family and he was doing his best. We weren't buddies or anything right now but at least he was trying. Maybe I should try to understand that more.

On my way to my tent I see Sophia and Carol. Sophia is a little girl about Carl's age. They were coming from Dale's RV with their heads slightly down. I've felt a connection to them for some reason. Her family is pretty quiet and keeps to themselves but by her shy attitude and the bruises that I can't ignore, I suspect something behind her father. Her mother, Carol, is the same way. I've done laundry with her a few times and if you get her talking she will for a few minutes before clamming up again if you happen to say something that pricks a nerve. I don't pry but I do reach out, trying to at least be a friend. She trusts me just enough to let Sophia come with me to pick berries and just walk around. It gets us both away for a little while and gives us a chance to breathe.  
>It'd been a few days since we'd gone out and with the others gone, I figured it'd do us both some good to get away for a little while so I chose to invite her. "Hey Sophia, Carol." I nod to the two.<p>

They look up and offer a soft smile. "Hi Anna." They both greet a bit shy but politely.

"What are ya'll up to today?" I ask.

"We were about to do a little bit of laundry and organize our tent. Ain't that much to do today." She answers.

"Well, maybe I can fix that." I say and Sophia looks up a bit. "It's been a few days since I went out for berries and plants. Sure could use your help if you're interested and it's cool with your mom."

Sophia looks at her mother expectantly. "Can I Mom? Please?" She pleads.  
>Carol looks at me and I raise my eyebrows playfully with a slight smile, earning a soft chuckle from her as she pushes a stray hair from Sophia's face. "Oh...why not?" She gives in and Sophia nearly bounces in her place, which makes me happy cause I don't see that too often from her. "But, you have to finish your chores first."<p>

"Mom!" She complains and I join in.

"Ugh, Mom, you are so lame!" I complain in a bratty teenage voice making Sophia put a hand to her mouth to hide her giggles. Carol gives me a look and shifts her weight to one leg. A sign I know all too well. So I hold my hands with an a innocent smile then turn to Sophia and clear my throat. "I mean, Sophia, that is no way to talk to your mom. Chores are a valuable part of life that you will impact for the rest of your days and you should thank your mom for imparting her wisdom and understanding as she teaches you these precious life tools..." I trail off, not being able to hide my laughter as Carol playfully smacks my arm with a rag she's holding, causing Sophia to giggle loudly.  
>I rarely see Carol laugh so this is actually a treat. It felt good to be able to make someone smile and laugh. I felt like myself again and in the moment, it didn't seem like the world was ending.<p>

As we sober up from our laughter, I tell Sophia that I had my own chores to do but that I promised that after I was done that I would come get her. They both agreed and I headed back to my tent to work on my signs.

There were no paint brushes so I had no choice but to use my hands. Ah, finger painting. The simple things that I missed even before the world ended. Only I was playing and making rainbows or stick figures of my family. I was making warnings to hopefully steer people away from the most dangerous place you could walk into. I still remember us being in the car on the outskirts, watching the city being bombed and hearing the loud frantic screams of people. It's a night that will forever be embedded into my memory. I still don't know how we escaped...

I force the memories from my head and wipe the hair from my face. I figured out a moment too late that I still had cold wet paint on my hands. "Lovely." I muttered bitterly as I felt the wetness on my face.

I was finished with the signs so I set them outside my tent to dry. I figured someone was bound to see them anyway so I decided now was as good as any to break the news to Shane.

It didn't take me long to find Shane chopping firewood and Carl and Mom sitting around the fire pit. It didn't take long for Shane to notice my face and raise his eyebrows in amusement. "Well, well, what's this all about? Gotcha war face on?" He jokes, making Mom and Carl turn around in confusion then look at me with shock before Carl starts laughing.

I smirk before putting on a straight face and make up a story. "Actually, I got into a fight with an Octopus." I say matter of factly then wink at Carl, who's giggling hysterically.

"That right?" Mom asks in disbelief, trying to hide her smile.  
>"Think we know who won. Looks like you put up a fair fight though." Shane teases.<p>

"Yeah, thing was huge!" I exaggerate, earning more laughter from Mom and Carl. "Nasty son of a-"

"Hey, language." Mom scolds in a motherly tone yet still smiling.

"Sorry." I apologize with a smirk.

"So, what were you doing?" Shane asks seriously.

My expression turns serious as I prepare to announce my mission. "Actually, that's something I really wanted to discuss with you." I pause then look from Mom to Shane again. "I'm going to-"

And then, for the first time since we'd been up here, the CB suddenly cackled and came to life with a voice on the other end. 


	3. Chapter 3

_"Hello, hello, can anyone hear my voice?"_ The voice breaks through the static.

We quickly run over to the CB and see Amy, Andrea's sister, drop the pile of wood she was carrying and grab the radio. "Hey, hello?" She tries to connect with the other person.

_"Can you hear my voice?"_ The voice asks. Dale and I exchange glances, which Dale takes a double take once he sees my amazing face paint. I wave him off with a smirk and go back to focusing on Amy.

"Yes, I can hear you, you're coming through, over." She says a bit excitedly.

_"If anybody reads, please respond._" Her face falls as she realizes her message didn't go through.

_"Broadcasting on emergency channel. Will be approaching Atlanta on highway 85. If anybody reads please respond."_ The voice says.

"Oh no." I whisper.

Amy gives me a worried look before trying again. "We're just outside the city..." the CB starts getting really bad static on the other end, making it hard to hear. "Damn it." she curses as she tries to fix it. "Hello? Hello?" She huffs frustrated then turns to Dale. "He couldn't hear me, I couldn't warn him, I-" She tells him, feeling helpless.

My anxiety raises as Dale gives her an instruction but then changes his mind and calls Shane over, to which he comes over quickly, slams his ax down and grabs the radio. "Hello, hello, is the person calling still on the air?" He lets go of the button only to hear more static.

"Come on, come on." I whisper, wanting desperately to warn this poor stranger. I feel a hand on my shoulder and see Mom above with the same concerned expression. "This is Officer Shane Walsh broadcasting to person unknown, please respond." More static, just a dead line. "He's gone." Shane reluctantly announces after a few moments of trying then turns the CB off.

"There are others, not just us." Mom says.

"We knew there would be, right? That's why we left the CB on." Shane replies.

"Lot of good it's been doing." Mom retorts sarcastically, echoing my exact thoughts.

Ok." Shane rolls his eyes.

"And I've been saying for a week to put signs on 85 warning people away from the city." She continues.

"Folks got no idea what they're getting into." Amy chimes in sadly.

"Well, we haven't had time." Shane says as he gets up.

The hell? We've got nothing but time!

"I think we need to make time!" Mom says before I get a word in.

"And that's uh, that's a luxury we can't afford."

"The hell it ain't." I finally say angrily.

Shane gives me a look. "We are surviving here day to day."

"Then who the hell do you propose we send?" Dale asks.

"I'll go, give me a vehicle." Mom volunteers.

"I'll go too." I step up.

Shane laughs. "So that's your amazing plan? You and your mom against a whole horde of walkers?" He asks sarcastically. "I don't think so."

"Shane, I already made the signs this morning." I announce, earning a look from Mom. I keep my eyes on Shane. "We need to do this. The CB is obviously proving to be nothing but a piece of shit and it ain't doing the job.

"She's right, Shane. It's different now, we know people are still fleeing to Atlanta and we're sitting here, listening to them as they walk into that death trap. We need to post the signs." She tries to reason with him but Shane doesn't budge.

"Nobody is going out there alone, you know that. If we do it, we gotta do it right and I ain't letting either of ya be the one's to do it. No way. Understand?" He says in a firm authoritative voice that irks me to the bone.

I look to Mom, expecting her to fight back but instead she shakes her head and says, "Yes sir." Then stomps off.

Shane gives me a look, which I respond with a glare, then he takes off after Carl, who was worried about Mom and he sends him back over to me. "Watch your brother for me. I'll be right back." He commands then hurries after Mom.

"Yes sir, my ass." I mutter under my breath. "Carl, stay here where Dale can see you. I'll be back soon."

"Where you going?"

I look bitterly to Shane had gone off too. "To take care of some business." I explain briefly before stomping in the opposite direction to my tent.

I was determined to get these signs up, whether Shane gave me permission or not. I meant what I said earlier. I was going to let anyone else into that city without being warned. I couldn't. The voice was still echoing in my head and I hoped that somehow, he was able to turn around and get out of there. It was very unlikely though and I knew that. That's why I wasn't going to sit around here anymore and waste time.

I snatched the signs up and walked quickly through camp, making sure I wasn't seen by Shane. Dale, however, did see me and called after me as I threw the signs in the back of one of the pickup trucks.

"Anna, you can't be doing what I think you're doing." He says.

"The hell I ain't." I mutter as I walk to the driver's seat.

Dale follows me and quickly moves around me to stand in front of the door. "Anna, I cannot allow you to do this."

"Why the hell not, Dale? You're the ones that give me the painting supplies in the first place." I say impatiently.

"And I support your decision but with that comes responsibility and I cannot allow you to go at this time because you're upset and I wouldn't be able to live myself if I let you go." He says with genuine care and concern.

I sigh then lean against the truck. "If I don't do it, Dale, then who will?" I ask, the fight leaving me.

"I will." He says gently. I give him a look. "I will, honest. And I'm sure when the rest of the crew gets back somebody will go with me. Maybe Shane would be willing let you go then too."

"I doubt it." I mumble.

"Well, even if he didn't, I'd be more willing to let you sneak in the back of this truck if we had more people and you had a chance to cool down. What do ya say?" He tries to reason.

I sigh and shake my head. "Alright, fine. I won't go." I finally give in, feeling more defeated than anything.

Dale smiles then pats my shoulder. "Wise decision." He compliments and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, only because it's you." I joke slightly, earning a chuckle from him as we head back to camp just in time to see Mom come back.

"Everything alright?" She asks me.

"Yeah." I answer shortly.

"You sure?" She asks knowingly.

I shake my head then go to move around her but she grabs my arm. "Hey, are you ok?" She asks again.

I tense underneath her grip. "I'm fine." I whisper then pull my arm away. I'm...going to my tent for a while. I, um, I need some space." I tell her and she gets the hint and moves out of my way.

Once I'm in my tenth, I flop down on my sleeping bag and sigh. I felt like crying but I tried to swallow it and just let it be. It sucked being in this position. Not knowing what to do and feeling totally helpless at times. I know I shouldn't be so cranky. Others have piled their losses where as mine have been kept to a minimum. Still, it hurt to think about the friends and family I've lost. And as much as I hate to think about him, I still think of my father. I missed him. I missed him terribly and I wish that the last day I'd talked to him hadn't ended so badly.

Despite myself, I take out a small photo album I'd gotten last year for my birthday. I was a sucker for photographs, Mom and Dad knew that. Even it was just a random moment and I took my cell phone out and snapped a quick photo while one of us were driving. This little album they got me was so simple but it held some of my favorite memories in it. I flip through and smile. There's the first time I held Carl in my arms, ecstatic to be a big sister. There's me making a goofy face while Mom was driving and she looked just in time for me to snap a hilarious picture of us both. I laugh because Dad put that one in there and when I was going through it, Mom slapped him because she hated that picture. I flip a few pages to my best friend's wedding. My eyes watered as I remember the fun we had and then the heartbreaking memory of seeing her as a walker. It hurt more than seeing someone just die. That state...it's so horrifying that I don't wish it on anyone. I shake my head then flip to the second page to the end and see my favorite photograph of my father and I. It was taken like three years ago on Easter Sunday I believe so we were dressed in our best outfits at a lunch my aunt put on every year. Dad was sitting down talking to someone and I saw my aunt walking around with a camera. She caught my eye and I motioned that I was going to pounce on his back, which was something I hadn't done since I was younger. She positioned herself and as he looked up and gave her a questioning look, I jumped on his back but due to me being not as young I used to be, I ended up knocking us both over and we fell in a laughing heap. My favorite shot she got was one with me and my arms wrapped Dad's neck and we were both smiling from ear to ear.

Tears fell from my eyes as I stare at the picture. It was then that I realized I never properly got to bury my father. There was no way I ever would be able too but I can make a memorial for him and that's exactly what I was going to do. I wiped my tears away and stuffed the picture into my pocket then grabbed my knife.

I walked a little past the treeline and found a tree with the sun shining directly on it. I got down on my knees, took my knife and began carving. It was harder than I expected, emotionally wise. I hated it. I felt like I was carving into my own heart and actually finalizing something that was so hard to accept. I was shaking and crying by the time I finished. I stepped back and read what I wrote.

Rick Grimes  
>Loving Father<br>May 27, 1967-June 11, 2010

I threw my knife to the ground and dropped to my knees as I allowed myself to mourn over my father. I stayed there for a long time until my knees were numb and the sticks and underbrush were digging into my skin. I took out the photograph and set it against the tree. I let out a long shaky breath. "I love you, Dad. I always will." I say out loud and run my fingers over the engravings. "I wish you were here." I whisper and let a few more tears fall before I drag myself back to my tent, feeling worn out and heavy.

I curl up in a ball and continue to cry until I eventually fall into a dreamless sleep.

I wake up a while later, feeling groggy and nasty as my face is still covered in sweat and tried up tears. I feel something else and realize that it's probably still the paint from earlier that I hadn't washed off. I take a bottle of my water and wet a rag I'd made out of an old t-shirt. It felt good and refreshing to wipe my face clean. I sat there for a moment wondering what I was going to do for the rest of the day before suddenly remembering the promise that I'd made to Sophia. She probably thought that I'd forgotten about her.

Now was as good as time as any so I grabbed my bucket and walked over to Sophia's camp, where I see Sophia and Carol talking. "Hi Anna." She greets excitedly when she sees me.

"Hey," I greet. "Have you finished your chores?" I nod to Carol, who smiles.

She nods excitedly. "I finished them like hours ago. I wanted to see if you were ready but your mom said you were sleeping." She explains.

I laugh nervously. "Yeah, I guess I was more tired than I expected. But, if it's alright with your mom, I'm ready now if you want to go." I offer.

She looks to Carol, who simply nods. "You can go. But don't go too far and stay within Anna's sight at all times." She instructs in a motherly tone.

We both nod and I promise to not keep her out for too long. Once we get outside the treeline, Sophia looks up at me. "Thank you for taking me." She says sweetly.

I smile at her. "You're welcome. I figured it'd do us both good to get some fresh air."

"Can I ask you something?" she asks shyly.

"Anything." I reply.

"Why don't you ever take Carl out?" She asks curiously.

"You know, I asked him a few times but he always said no so I just eventually gave up. Guess he had more boy like things to do with Shane." I shrug.

Sophia laughs softly. "I like going with you. I don't like being around our camp for too long." She says softly.

I look at her. "Oh? Why not?" I ask even though I probably know the answer.

She suddenly looks down and grows quiet. "It's a long story." She whispers. "Maybe not today." She looks at me slightly worried.

I give her an understanding nod and smile. "It's ok." I reassure her as we continue to walk. "We've got nothing but time."


End file.
